June 20, 2017 -- Cleveland Heights High School graduate Austin Easterling ('12) discusses how Heights prepared him for his future, and gives advice to students on the importance of commitment.
What was your
experience at Heights like?
Being born and raised in Cleveland Heights, my experience at Heights was filled with a lot of good memories. Whether it was from the friends I made, the sports I played such as Wrestling and Track & Field or the overall spirit throughout, I had a pretty good time at Heights.
How were you able to avoid some of the pitfalls teen African American males can fall into?
Pitfalls are a very scary thing. It’s probably the easiest to fall into and the hardest to get out of. Luckily I had a strong family who supported me and helped me to avoid some of those pitfalls because of their own experiences. They would always say they didn’t want me to make the same mistakes they made which helped me learn how to practice making better choices for myself. I also had a support network (the village as they say) from my church family – New Community Bible Fellowship and others who were great mentors to me. While in high school, I was able to realize there’s more long term reward when you stay true to yourself and stay on track. Sports played a huge role in keeping me disciplined and out of trouble. Wrestling specifically taught me the most life lessons that I still apply today. One of the most important lessons I remember being taught by my coaches was when they said “when times get tough, regardless of what you do, don’t quit and remain focused on the goal.” Back then, the goal was focused on winning the match, but I took this same mentality and applied it to everything I did off the mat and it continues to influence who I am today.
Why was it important for you to go to college?
It was important for me to go to college because it single-handedly changed my life for the better. I can’t imagine not attending Morehouse College -- but college in general. I learned so much about myself and was forced to make my own decisions and realize the power of consequences, whether good or bad. Not only that, but going to college put me in a better position to make a difference in the world. I became very active with developing programs and events on campus - some formal and some informal - but my participation helped me grow and learn how to lead. If you would have told me 4 years ago, that I would be in the position that I am in now, I wouldn’t have believed you. The amount of opportunities given to me was solely because of going to college and I couldn’t be more grateful and thankful of my decision.
How did your mom help you stay focused and on track?
My mom and I are really close as she’s literally my best friend. With her being my source of strength and discipline, she provided me with the knowledge she learned throughout her life. She instilled in me the importance of not only pursuing academic excellence but the importance of being myself and not falling weak to the temptation of short term pleasure. She is and has always been my open book of wisdom and clarity when it comes to issues I may have experienced as she provided a solution through personal experience. She always kept me active in extracurricular activities and guided me away from things she thought was trouble. I am forever thankful for her deep and unconditional love.
What are you doing now?
Right now I am living in New York working for Moody’s Analytics as a Marketing Associate in their Content Distribution department, specifically working on Product Strategy and Development.
What advice would you give the young men of Heights about preparing for their future?
Focus! Focus on the bigger picture and your long term success as compared to the short term pleasures you may encounter. Don’t be side tracked and influenced by your friends who you genuinely feel are going down a wrong path because you if you do, you will join them. It’s okay to be different – it won’t affect your popularity. The only thing it will affect is your outcome on life. If you don’t have a successful path to walk follow, create your own and keep moving! Whatever you do, don’t quit.
Favorite Teachers?
My favorite teachers and staff were a bunch of people but to name a few that had a lasting impact on me would be Mr. Lipowski, Mr. Pugh, Mr. Engoglia, Mr. Sack, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Nachman, Coach Newton and Coach Spooner. Each of them played an important part in making sure I was on track and out of trouble, while also being there when I needed advice on things that pertained to not only college but life in general. Much love to them!